The area in which Dacula is located was once heavily
populated by Native Americans,
until settlers forced them to move west.
In 1812, a fort was established to protect the
western boundary called Ft. Daniel. The first road in Gwinnett County
was built to connect Ft. Daniel to the closest
fort, at Standing Peachtree. That road is now called Old Peachtree Road.
The first Gwinnett County courthouse was established
here in 1821, the Elisha Winn House. The first jail was also here.
The first settlement in the area was called Chinquapin
Grove. It was probably named for the abundance of oak trees
called chinquapins, by Native Americans. In 1891,
tracks were laid for the railroad. At that time some people began
calling the town Hoke, named after a railroad
official. However, the townspeople called the town Freeman Town, after
a prominent family in the area. Dr. Freeman was
one of the only doctors in the area. The family owned a mill which is
still operational. The first postmaster was a
Freeman.
In 1905, when Dacula was incorporated, the locals
came up with the name by using letters from Decatur and Atlanta,
two of the nearest cities.
The city boomed in the years between 1910 and
1935, largely due to the cotton trade. There was a large cotton gin
here, where many people came to buy, sale and
process their cotton. Growth declined during the depression, but
boomed again in the 1980s.